You may have heard that a healthshare is an excellent way to get low-cost health coverage. But where did healthshares come from?
Did they pop up during the gig economy boom? Is this a Covid thing? Nope! The roots for healthshares go back to the early 1900s.
Learning the history of healthshares can help you understand how ClearShare is advancing the health coverage industry and decide if it’s right for you.
How Healthshares Started
In the early 1900s, Amish and Mennonite communities pooled their resources to help those within their community manage financial burdens during difficult times. This practice of mutual aid within close-knit groups kicked off the practice for modern healthshares.
Later in the century, larger Christian groups took this concept to the next level. These networks began focusing specifically on medical expenses based on a shared religious or ethical belief.
By 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed, there were 100,000 members of healthshares in the United States. Eight years later, that number had grown to more than 1 million.
Healthshare Regulations
Even with the explosion of popularity, healthshares have often faced regulatory challenges. It took some time for governments to catch up to the pace of the healthshare communities and their needs, but now many states have safe harbor laws that ensure these ministries do not require the same regulations as a health insurance provider.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also provides letters of exemption to ministries that meet these criteria, which then allows them to operate outside of the bounds of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Healthshares may not be as regulated as insurance providers, but they do have very specific criteria they must meet to qualify:
- -They must be a 501(c) organization
- -Members must share common ethical or religious beliefs
- -They can’t discriminate based on which state a member lives in or their employment.
- -They can’t revoke membership due to the development of a medical condition.
- -They must be audited annually by an independent CPA, with results available on request.
ClearShare is Moving Healthshares Forward
ClearShare is building on the work that healthshares have done before. We’re improving the ways healthshares work by creating innovative plans that offer excellent benefits at affordable prices.
We’re creating innovative plans that offer excellent benefits at affordable prices. Our Care Coordination service will find a high quality low cost provider for blood tests, X-rays, even major surgeries, and if you use the provider we find, your fees are waived. We’ve also partnered with Amaze Health to ensure you have 24/7 access to quality care, including urgent care and mental healthcare. Plus, we throw in a massive, nationwide PPO network of providers.
Perhaps the most important thing to know about ClearShare is that we care about your healthcare. As a nonprofit, we put our members first. So we want to pay for your care.
Ready to experience the ClearShare difference? See if it’s right for you. Book a call with one of our experts today.
